The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1887-04-08
FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 1887.
MORE DARKNESS.


Yesterdays Ad5e,aisey returns to the
discussion Of legislative reform, IN an
attempt to reply to this paper, but
leaves the public more than ever in
the dark as to its real sentiments on
the merits of the question. The covert
manner in which our contemporary in
vites comparison Of his and our
"years and experience" is at least incon.
sistent with his leader Of some months
ago where he den junced personal
journalism" in bold terms. The lad
vantage in years and experience" may
be, numerically considered, all on his
side, but it is an advantage. which
he has evidently not improved
to the extent Of being prepared
to advocate the right for its own sake.
That the possession Of ''years and expe
rience" is not to be accepted as con.
elusive evidence Of superior wisdom
was powerfully asserted by Englands
Great Commoner" in his memorable
reply to Lrd North, and to all well
informed persons is an argument con-
sidered to have been then and there
finally and forever disposed Of
1t is pleasing to be assured by our
contemporary that the "adherents Of
law and order, the owners Of public
property and the conservators of public
morals" have not been "driven to the
last ditch in defense Of their princi-
pies" Suppose they were in their last
ditch, it is scant comfort they would
receive from the Adierii5er. The best
way to keep them out OF such des-
perate situation is to erect an immova.
BILE barrier against the encroachment
of despotic power, and that in the form
of free and independent legislative
body. Whether ii is feasible" "pos-
sible" or probable is not the main ques.
ton. Let legislative reform be once
settled as an indispensable consumma-
ton, and the modaS oberaadI can be
taken up afterwards Whether the
measures adopted are in conformity
with those outlined by the HERALD or
with those to be hereafter formulated
by our contemporary is not Of much
consequence. Whatever position the
Ad1eytiser sees fit to maintain on leg
islative reform, that is surprising it to
muster resolution enough to get down
off thefence on to solid ground, tits salts
factory tonotice thatthe national party"
has been dropped from itsprogramme
1t is within the memory of the Oldest
inhabitants that the so.called national
party" was to be the cure-all for every
politica! irregularity then existing or
that might occur ever after. That
party came out Of the electoral con-
test of $50 fright side up" but
its exploits goyernmenthave, somehow
or other failed to command even the APP
probation of most its ardent supporters
Strange faulty Of events our contem-
porary made bold and successful
fight for the "National party" but
seems to have found success a white
elephant on its hands To quote from
the Ad9ohsey again: Communities
are always about as well governed as
they deserve to be, and we perceive
nothing in the domestic or external
affairs of these islands that would even
suggest this Kingdom as an exception
to that rule" These sentiments would
have been worthy of Diogenes but
in connection with the "let bad enough
alone" policy elsewhere maintained,
they are not the sentiments Of patriot
ism or of philanthropy. The acts of
the present Government of the Ha-
waiian Islands have almost invariably
been subjected to adverse criticism
from our contemporary hence by his
own showing, the community must
have been guilty of perpetrating pub
lie wrong by 'electing the National